Fees waived for cat adoptions at Arizona Humane Society

Adoption fees for cats and kittens have been waived for all Arizona Humane Society animal shelters until Sept. 30 because of overcrowding.

The "Leave No Feline Behind" campaign allows people looking to adopt up to two cats or kittens from an Arizona Humane Society shelter at no set cost to the adopter. People looking to adopt are asked to donate to help defray the costs of running the shelters.

Since the promotion began May 14, adopters have donated anywhere between $5 to $500 for their new cats, said Bretta Nelson, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Humane Society.

Adoption fees are typically run about $48. Cats adopted from the organization are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and come with a free follow-up exam, a collar and carrier, Nelson said.

Officials hope that the campaign will reduce the feline population at Valley shelters, which have been inundated with people bringing in multiple cats at once, Nelson said.

By reducing the number of animals currently at the shelters, the Arizona Humane Society can continue to keep their doors open for other owners who are no longer able to provide for their animals, Nelson said.

It typically costs about $314 every year to care for a cat or kitten, Nelson said.

There are currently just over 200 cats available for adoption at any of the three Arizona Humane Society locations in Arizona. However, Nelson expects that number to increase by the the end of the work week.

Arizona Humane Society shelters often see an influx in cats and kittens during the summer months. According to the Arizona Humane Society website, one feline is left in the care of the organization every seven minutes.

Anyone looking to adopt a cat or kitten from the organization can go to www.azhumane.org to find an adoption location.

"Lovey," an underweight kitten,was recently released from foster care, spayed and put up for adoption at the Arizona Humane Society. The AHS is waiving adoption fees for all cats and kittens because of overcrowding.

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Anyone looking to adopt a cat or kitten from the organization can go to www.azhumane.org to find an adoption location.